Railway signaling



E. P. A. ABRIC. RAILWAY SIGNALING. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 23, I9I8.

1,385,295. Patented 'July 19, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

Application filed September 23, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EMILE Pmmm ANTOINE Annie, a citizen of the Republicof France,

an automatic block signal system which, al-.

though particularly applicable for use in subway or otherundergroundsystems, may alsobe used with surface lines, and which :involves onlythe use of electrical condisclosed.

nectors and lamps and avoids the use of mechanical devices,electromagnets, or other similar devices extensively used in blocksignal systems.

In my copending application Serial No. 250,596, filed August 19, 1918, ablock signal system is disclosed in which a car or train entering ablock automatically establishes an. electrical circuit through aplurality of lamps including a control lamp ahead of the train, and oneor more signal lamps in the rear of the train. My present invention alsoinvolves the use of a plurality of lamps including control lamps adaptedto be lighted ahead of a train entering a, certain block and si nallamps behind the train to warn succee ing trains, but the presentinvention involves a different arrangement of electrical circuitshereinafter to be fully Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings representsdiagrammatically a block signal system in which the blocking and controlsignal lamps of the same section are in series;

Fig. 2 is a similar view in which the lamps are in parallel;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2,but

showing an additional or safety lamp at each signal;

i Fig. 4 is a cross section through a railroad track showing a portionof one embodimellllt of the invention incorporated therewit r In thedrawings the electric connector A is a continuous main running parallelto the track along its whole length, the trackway R itself constitutingthe return main. A conductor comprising insulated overlapping sectionsB' B B B, &c., is also parallel to the track R, the sections beingpreferably mounted on 'the cross ties between the rails, as illustratedin Fig. 4. Each of Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented July 19, 1921.

Serial No. 255,317.

these sections is coextensive with two block sections, but has nodefinite length, the length of the block sections being determined bythe grade of the track, its curva turc, the intended interval betweentrains, and the permissible speed.

At the ends of each block are located the signal lampswhich comprise,referring to Figs. 1. and 2, control. signals C, C, C and C and blocksignals D D D and D In Fig. 3 additional signals E, E, E and Ff areillustrated, which constitute safety signals adapted to be automaticallyilluminated when the lamps of: the corresponding block signals have beendestroyed. Each of the sections B, B, 13 B and B is con-. nected to thecontinuous main A. In Fig. 1 the connection includes a control lamp andblocking lamp in series. In Fig. 2 each section is connected in twoplaces with. the main A, one of said connections being through a controllamp and the other through a block signal lamp. The trackway as statedabove, constitutes the return conductor and mounted upon each car of theline, one of which is indicated riliagrammatically at F, is a suitablecontact brush which bears against both sections of the interruptedconductor running parallel to the track. The brushes are electricallyconnected to the wheels of the car so that as the latter enters a block,connection is es tablished between the mains A and R through twodifferent connecting means. The brushes remain in contact with twosections of the sectional conductor so long as the car is traversing anygiven block, and at the end of the block the brushes pass over a gapbetween the ends of two of the sections, thus breaking the circuitthrough one set of lamps and creating a circuit through a new set.

In Fig. 1 the car F has established electrical connection between thetrackway It and the main A through control lamp (1 and block signal lampD and also between the mains through control lamp C and block signallamp D These lamps are,

therefore, illuminated, warning a succeeding pose of enabling theoperator of the train, who is looking ahead, to see whether or notproper electrical connection has been made between the two mains R and Aas his train enters a block.

From the above it is apparent that the trains are separated by buttersections, that is, when the signals are working properly, a trainapproaching a block signal in which the lamp is illuminated will bewarned that the preceding train is in the second block ahead and thatcaution should be exercised in proceeding, or that the train should bestopped entirely until the train ahead has proceeded to a third blockahead.

Safety lamps E, E, E E illustrated in Fig. 3, are illuminated when theblock signal lamps D, D, D D are destroyed, being connected in shuntwith the circuit through the block signal lamp. hen it is seen that asafety lamp is illuminated instead of block signal lamp, the lattershould be immediately replaced.

For electric railways the third wire or trolley wire is used instead ofthe main A and, in case of the third wire the section conductor ispreferably placed alongside the cable to subway systems, it may beutilized in connection with surface railways in which case the lamps areplaced in a box which shields them from the daylight, and are visibleonly in'certain directions, for instance in the direction of theapproaching train.

The advantages of the invention will be apparent from the abovedescription. It is cheap to install in the first instance, there beingnocomplicatedmechanism and no moving parts other than the brush orbrushes carried by the train, the maintenance cost is extremely low dueto the simplieityof the system,'and the danger of nonoperation ofsignals is reduced to a minimum. Other advantages will also be apparoutto those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto beobtained by LettersPatent is:

1. Inblock signal apparatus for railroads, incombination, parallelcontinuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulated overlap'iing sections, an electrical connection, including a signal lamp,between each section of said conductors and one oi said mains, and meanscarried by a car for electrically connecting the other mainsimultaneously to one section of each of said conductors for the purposeset forth.

2. In block signal apparatus for railroads, in combination, parallelcontinuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulatedoverlapping sections, a signal lamp at each end of each insulatedsection, an electric-d connection, including one of said signal. lamps,between each section of: said conductors and one of said mains, andmeans earricd by a car for electrically connecting the other mainsimultaneously to one section of each of said conductors, for thepurpose set forth.

8. In block signal apparatus for railroads, in combination, parallelcontinuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulatedrn'erlapping sections, an electrical. circuit, including a signal lampand a control lamp. between each section of said conductors and one ofsaid mains, and means carried by a car for electrically connecting theother main simultaneously to one section of: each of said conductors,for the purpose set forth.

4. In block signal apparatus for railroinls, in combination, parallelcontinuous electrical mains conductors divided into insulatedoverlappii'ig scctionscach section being coextensive with two blocks, asignal lamp at each end of each insulated section, each lamp beingelectrically connected to one of the insulated. sections and to one oi?the mains, and means carried by a car for electrically connecting theother main simultaneously to one section of cach'of said conductors, forthe purpose set forth.-

5. In block signal apparatus for railroads, in combination,parallelcontinuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulatedoverlapping sections, each section being coextensive with two bloclrs,two signal lamps at each end of each block oneof these two lamps being ablock signal for one block and the other being the control signal forthe block behind, electrical connecting means be,- tween each ofthesections of the'coiuluetor and one of the mains, through a controland a signal lamp, and means carried by a car for electricallyconnecting the other main simultaneouslyto one section of each of saidconductors, forthe purpose set i'orth.

In testimony whercofl allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMILE PIERRE ANTOINE ABRIC.

lVitnesses PAUL COULOMB, JOHN F. Smroivs

